How to Write Cover Letter

A cover letter is like a prelude to your resume. It speaks about your existing strengths and skills that are needed for the job that you are applying for. Very often a good and impressive cover letter leaves greater impact than a resume. If you take efforts to write your cover letter in the proper manner and in a way which attracts the attention of your prospective employer then you can surely make yourself stand out in a crowd. In this competitive and recession hit market, one needs to have a good command over one’s cover letter that can actually make your prospective employer sit back and take notice. So what are the ways in which one can write an impressive cover letter? It is tough to write one? Of course not! You just have to keep the following guidelines in consideration and start writing a professional cover letter that can grab everyone’s attention:

It is very important to know each and every possible bit of information about the company that you are sending your cover letter and resume to. Equally important is to know whether you shall be addressing your cover letter to a “Mr.” or an “Ms.”. Try and know about the exact name of the person to whom the cover letter would be addressed to. Never ever mention “Dear Managing Director” while addressing your prospective employer. This will make your cover letter sound very informal.
Remember to keep the heading of the cover letter left aligned just like as mentioned below:

Your name
Your address
City, state, zip code
Contact number
Email address

Date

Name of your prospective employer
Company’s name
Address of the company
City, state, zip code

It is very important to follow the above mentioned format as the heading for your cover letter. It looks professional and will also make your cover letter captivating.

The next step is mentioning the salutation part of your cover letter. Try and keep the salutation as formal as possible. Therefore mention it as “Dear Mr. / Ms.” with the last name of your prospective employer. An example can be, “Dear Mr. Smith,”.
The first paragraph of your cover letter should include the following points in an explanatory way:

How you came to know about the vacancy in the company
Your current company and position therein
Your preference of the place
Your interest in the position and job that is vacant

However it is advised that you keep the first paragraph of your letter as small and simple as possible. One or two sentences can do the job for you.

Talk about yourself in the following paragraph. Try and mention your strengths and skills in a humble way. Do not go overboard while writing about your past professional achievements and experiences. Be careful not to sound conceited or proud. Mention all those qualities in you that make you a skilled and organized person as a professional. However you have to take care that whatever qualities, skills, experiences and achievements that you are mentioning are in tandem with the position that you are applying for.
The next paragraph should be about the qualities in you that make you the perfect choice for the vacant position in the company. Try and mention those activities that you have performed in the past that have a connection with the position that you are applying for.
Keep the closing short and simple. You have to inform here that your resume is attached along with the cover letter. Here you can ask the company personnel to get in touch with you incase they have any questions regarding you and tell them that you are waiting eagerly for a revert from their end.
Lastly, you have to end the cover letter with,

Sincerely,
(Signature)
Print name